How can I get out of this (How can Tmo charge me this)?

**big_time2** · 04-21-2012, 07:30 AM

Bought the bold 9900 on the day it was released. No problems whatsoever.

Upgraded OTA to 7.1, and with the upgrade return (escape) key stopped working. Googled, couldn't find anything. Called Tmo, was told to upgrade using DM and that would fix it. That didn't fix it.

Tmo agreed to replace it under warranty. New phone arrives, with a cracked screen. Sent it back, got another one. New one comes and the battery couldn't keep up, it would die in under 4 hours. Sent it back got another one. 8 (yes that's eight) phones later, I asked Tmo to just give me a brand new (not a refurb) 9900, they said they couldn't. I offered to pay for a new one, if they could just maybe give me a partial discount, I didn't ask for full ($199) discount, but just partial discount, so I don't have to pay $650 for it. Tmo said no. I asked for a different phone, just brand new, still no, again asked to pay for it, but asked for a partial discount, still no.

Because I'm out of contract I just cancelled that line (I have a family plan with 4 other lines). A week after that I get a letter (today) saying they will charge me $125.19 because the original handset "had broke or cracked plastics, broken display screen(s), or triggered liquid damage indicators." This letter, by the way, was sent to me on Thursday (two days ago), four days after I cancelled that line and almost a month after I sent in the original phone.

So, I'm thinking that because they couldn't charge me an ETF, what the heck, let's charge him something, they're charging me this. If the phone had water damage, or cracked plastic, broken screen, they would have said so when I sent it originally. I called and of course I couldn't get anywhere.

What the heck Tmo? How is this even possible?

**edu3110** · 04-21-2012, 07:52 AM

Better Business Bureau? Call them again, try to get that waived. If they don't want to. Tell them you are going to call the Better Business Bureau.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using crackberry forum app.

**danielcj** · 04-21-2012, 01:12 PM

That's just ridiculous. I would try calling retentions but I guess you already cancelled your contract? If you had 4 lines and were out of contract they would have thrown phones at you to try to keep you to stay if you threatened to cancel.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

**raino** · 04-21-2012, 10:29 PM

OP, you're spot on with calling their BS in claiming this damage yet sending you phone after phone. Did they charge you any deductibles/replacement fees?

If they did, you can claim that settled the exchange and they can't charge a new fee.

If they didn't, stick with the default argument that you never got charged the first time (or subsequently until the cancellation.)

I'd also look for some documentation stating that if they find your phone to have water damage, they won't replace it. It's a pretty standard business practice; I'd be surprised if TMO didn't follow it.

**big_time2** · 04-22-2012, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by danielcj

That's just ridiculous. I would try calling retentions but I guess you already cancelled your contract? If you had 4 lines and were out of contract they would have thrown phones at you to try to keep you to stay if you threatened to cancel.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Called them already, they were the ones who refused to give me a partial discount on a different phone. I only cancelled that one line for now until I can get a comparable price on another carrier, then i'll cancel the other 3.

**big_time2** · 04-22-2012, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by raino

OP, you're spot on with calling their BS in claiming this damage yet sending you phone after phone. Did they charge you any deductibles/replacement fees?

If they did, you can claim that settled the exchange and they can't charge a new fee.

If they didn't, stick with the default argument that you never got charged the first time (or subsequently until the cancellation.)

I'd also look for some documentation stating that if they find your phone to have water damage, they won't replace it. It's a pretty standard business practice; I'd be surprised if TMO didn't follow it.

They did tell me about the damage when they were sending me the first replacement, the usual "if there is any water damage after the phone is inspected you will be charged a full price for the phone, etc., etc." I can't believe that they just found something wrong with it a week after I cancelled the line, even after sending me 8 other phones. That's the part that bugs me the most.

**raino** · 04-23-2012, 09:47 AM

I find it hard to believe that they didn't find the "damage" by the time the 8th replacement was sent to you. How much time are we talking about anyways?

**big_time2** · 04-25-2012, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by raino

I find it hard to believe that they didn't find the "damage" by the time the 8th replacement was sent to you. How much time are we talking about anyways?

A little more than a month. Maybe 5 Weeks. Don't remember the date, but I know that when I got a third replacement and had a problem with it, called Tmo and the associate ended up sending me an email for help installing 7.1, that was on the 31st of March. So it had to have been sometimes prior to the 31st. That's about the only record I have from them that has a date on it.

**Blkbear** · 04-25-2012, 10:04 PM

I would make it clear to them that there was no water damage or cracked screen on the original phone, but on one of the replacements, there was indeed a cracked screen. I would also ask that the original phone be sent back to you so you have have it inspected by a local cell phone repair shop to see where the screen was damaged and where the water damage is, since you have the original serial number and pin, you expect that the phone should return in the same condition it was sent to them in. I'm better the phone with the cracked screen is the phone they are talking about and not the phone you sent in.

Originally Posted by bigtime2

Tmo agreed to replace it under warranty. New phone arrives, with a cracked screen. Sent it back, got another one. New one comes and the battery couldn't keep up, it would die in under 4 hours. Sent it back got another one. 8 (yes that's eight) phones later, I asked Tmo to just give me a brand new (not a refurb) 9900, they said they couldn't. I offered to pay for a new one, if they could just maybe give me a partial discount, I didn't ask for full ($199) discount, but just partial discount, so I don't have to pay $650 for it. Tmo said no. I asked for a different phone, just brand new, still no, again asked to pay for it, but asked for a partial discount, still no.

What the heck Tmo? How is this even possible?

**supamas** · 05-02-2012, 08:47 PM

You're not going to get anywhere by just calling regular reps. Gotta go up the chain.

It sounds like cancelling the line and the charges you received were two separate occurrences.

If you were upgrading the line with no contract to receive the discount price of $199 and received faulty merchandise, then they are required to replace it.

Their terms and conditions have changed recently so I'm not sure exactly what charges are involved, but you are allowed to receive the same phone model until they send one that works.

The battery being drained quickly is a plague of he 9900 under heavy use with 4g enabled so they probably won't humor that problem too much.

So, from what I know from having worked there and dealing with returns/exchanges, you are stuck with a refurbed unit. The only way to have received a brand new unit is if you had gone to the store and reported the problem within the first 14 days (30 for CA). Customer care will only send you refurbed ones.

Bottom line: keep exchanging until you get a phone that looks close enough to new. You can always purchase new batteries in the future and install new OS that may improve battery life.

Bottom line for the real problem: 125.17 seems like a very odd number to be charged for cancelling a line without a contract. Those charges look more like restocking fees or the like. I would calmly call and question the rep why there is a $125 charge. Let them sift through the bill until they find why. When they explain it to you, then you can let them know about the situation of the phone exchanges. With the cracked screen thing, you're going to need to find the date when you called in after having received that specific unit. Have the rep on the phone go over the notes from when you called in about that phone. The notes should properly detail that you called about receiving a broken screen. If that wasn't annotated, the only other option besides going to court, is to ask to cancel your lines. It's a "move" to speak with people that are given the power in the system to make problems go away and help customers stay with T-Mobile. I'm sure if you're very cordial about it and very matter-of-fact with them about your tenure and desire to stay, they will be very willing to help you through this and stay.

One line I love to pull is, "Look, I like coming here. That is why I bring my business here with you guys. If this problem can't be resolved, then I think my business will be better spent with a company that will take care of it's customers."

That doesn't work with everyone, especially if you caught someone on a bad day, but it could do the trick. You can always call back...

Sorry if that was a little too long winded for you. It's hard when you're not there to read the attitude of the employee you're working with and knowing all the details.

The thing is, if you had called as soon as you saw a problem and had them annotate everything that was wrong with the phone when you received it, there can be no dispute as to proper billing procedures...

Anyways, good luck!

**Pearl9100** · 05-02-2012, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by edu3110

Better Business Bureau? Call them again, try to get that waived. If they don't want to. Tell them you are going to call the Better Business Bureau.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using crackberry forum app.

BBB is useless. Utterly utterly useless. I got screwed over by a car dealership and the BBB couldn't help me because they do not have a partnership with BBB.

To the original poster, I think you are screwed. You are just going to have to keep calling and yelling. Sorry. Let us know how it works out.

**meshell024** · 05-04-2012, 06:19 PM

I have t-mo and but I only have the 9780 which has the same battery issue you mentioned and they brushed me off i have had over 7 replacements each one with yet another issue so I am going to use it to get an early upgrade but it seems as if t-mo brushing you off I would call and just ask to speak to a manager and also mentioned that you know the calls are recorded and they can look them up which in fact they can and that you got a replacement with a broken screen but you called and told them and they sent you a replacement it seems as though that may be where this charge is coming from?

**edu3110** · 05-06-2012, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by meshell024

I have t-mo and but I only have the 9780 which has the same battery issue you mentioned and they brushed me off i have had over 7 replacements each one with yet another issue so I am going to use it to get an early upgrade but it seems as if t-mo brushing you off I would call and just ask to speak to a manager and also mentioned that you know the calls are recorded and they can look them up which in fact they can and that you got a replacement with a broken screen but you called and told them and they sent you a replacement it seems as though that may be where this charge is coming from?

I work in a call center and they would never do that. Thousands of calls are recorded every day, it is usually by agent, not by customer. What they could do is look at the notes (if the agent wrote notes) under your number and get an idea of what is going on.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using crackberry forum app.

**big_time2** · 05-12-2012, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by jaidonmitchell

I think you should visit to the retailer where from you purchase this phone tell him whole the matter is and try to convince him that I want to purchase a new phone just give me some discount. If this idea doesn't works you should tell them replace my phone or repair it totally like a new one.

I tried that, didn't work. I cant do much now. I cancelled the line, they sent me a bill for 119$, I still haven't paid it yet, but i'll try to figure something out before the due date.